Heavy rain in Brisbane affected most of the opening day of the third Test between Australia and India at The Gabba on Saturday, with Australia 28/0. Only 13.2 overs were bowled before lunch, and no play was possible for the two sessions.
At one point, the outfield looked like a lake, but as the rain lightened, the water drained quickly, leaving just a few damp spots. Still, rain continued throughout the second session as a large band moved slowly over the greater Brisbane area.
Live from Brisbane: Crazy rain stops play | Forecast not good for third India-Australia Test
Usman Khawaja was unbeaten on 19, while Nathan McSweeney had four runs after India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field.
Following a week of rain in Brisbane, the Indian skipper must have anticipated significant movement from his opening bowlers, but they struggled to find their rhythm. Jasprit Bumrah seemed to lack pace early on, and Mohammed Siraj was similarly unthreatening.
The forecasted rain arrived just 25 minutes into play, causing a half-hour delay. When the players returned, Akash Deep, who has come in for Harshit Rana, finally found his length, generating movement in the air and off the pitch, particularly troubling McSweeney.
However, 35 minutes later, much heavier rain forced the players off the field again.
The five-match series is finely balanced, with India winning the first Test in Perth and Australia responding with a strong victory in Adelaide.
As expected, Australia welcomed back Josh Hazlewood for Scott Boland after he recovered from a side strain. India made changes as well, with spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and fast bowler Harshit Rana sitting out in favour of Ravindra Jadeja and Akash Deep.
What is the weather forecast for rest of the third Test?
Live rain update from Brisbane: Will India-Australia match happen on Day 1? Big update
After the rain bout on the opening day, Sunday is expected to be dry at The Gabba in Brisbane. As per Accuweather, there is only 8% chance of rain on a day which will have extensive cloud cover still.
The odds of showers get higher on Day 3 (Monday) with 69% chances of rain and expectation of precipitation for 90 minutes. The prediction is for temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius with sunny spells and couple of showers.
Day 4 (Tuesday) and Day 5 (Wednesday) are both expected to witness showers with 84% and 56% probability of rain, respectively.